Donald Trump escalated his conflict with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni this Saturday by posting on Truth Social that she asked him "over and over again" for a photograph during the G7 summit held in Évian-les-Bains, France.
In the message, Trump linked that alleged request to Meloni's popularity issues in Italy, directly attributing them to Rome's refusal to support the U.S. military operation against Iran and to deny the use of landing strips on Italian territory for Washington's logistical operations.
"The Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni repeatedly asked for a photo with me during the G7 meeting in France. She is struggling in Italy with her popularity level, possibly because she rejected the United States, a country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to preventing Iran from obtaining or developing a nuclear weapon," Trump wrote.
The leader also recalled that the U.S. "contributes hundreds of billions of dollars each year to protect Italy and other NATO allies" and concluded by rejecting any reconciliation: "Now, after the United States has militarily defeated Iran, it wants to be friends again to boost its 'numbers.' No, thank you!"
This message marks the second escalation in less than 24 hours. On Friday, Trump stated in a phone interview with the Italian channel La7 that Meloni had "begged" him for a photo and that he agreed "out of pity": "She begged me to take a picture with her! She really wanted a photo with me. I wouldn't have accepted, but I felt sorry for her!"
Meloni responded immediately with a video on social media in which she called Trump's words "totally fabricated" and expressed that she was "frankly astonished." "Neither I nor Italy have ever begged," stated the Prime Minister, who also questioned Trump's treatment of his allies: "I don’t know why the President of the United States behaves this way with his allies; it’s not the first time it has happened."
The crisis generated an institutional response in Italy. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, canceled his scheduled visit to Miami on June 21 and 22, describing Trump's words as "serious and offensive" and noting that they "offend all of Italy." The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, personally called Meloni to offer his support.
The episode marks the lowest point of a relationship that began as one of the strongest between Trump and a European leader.
Meloni was the only European head of government present at Trump's inauguration in January 2025, but the relationship deteriorated when Italy refused to participate in the war against Iran and denied the use of an airbase in Sicily for U.S. operations.
The G7 summit in Évian, held from June 15 to 17, seemed to have eased tensions. Open microphones captured moments of apparent cordiality between both leaders. However, Trump's subsequent statements abruptly escalated the crisis once again.
In April 2026, Trump had already attacked Meloni in an interview with Corriere della Sera, calling her "unacceptable" and claiming that they hadn't spoken in a long time: "She is the unacceptable one. I thought she was brave, but I was mistaken."
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